Revolution Embraces the J.J. Abrams Doctrine: Leverage Enigma

Anyone watching NBC's Revolution when it premieres Sept. 17 will be left in the dark, whether by the physics-defying powerpocalypse that opens the series or by its shrouded causes. (Watch the first episode of the new series below.) Either way, it's no surprise that the newest show from J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions centers around an enigma—for more than a decade now, Abrams and company have expertly leveraged the unknown. Here's how.

Alias (2001-2006)Secret ingredient: Milo RambaldiWhat little we knew: The work of the da Vinci-like genius popped up throughout the show. But because viewers never really knew the significance of the alchemist—or why so many of his writings featured the number 47—fans were left to create their own theories. Which they did.

Lost (2004-2010)Secret ingredient: The Dharma InitiativeWhat little we knew: A kinda-hippie, kinda-malicious arm of the even more opaque Hanso Foundation did something strange on the island back in the 1970s. Not every episode provided a clue, but throughout the show's six seasons, the Easter egg hunt never stopped.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)Secret ingredient: The Rabbit's FootWhat little we knew: Superspy Ethan Hunt spent the whole movie chasing a small canister with a biohazard sticker. File this one under MacGuffins: It got audiences to watch the film, but even Hunt himself couldn't tell you what it was.

Cloverfield (2008)Secret ingredient: The monsterWhat little we knew: Because Cloverfield was made from "found footage," the audience saw only what the protagonists filmed—which meant the creature that crawled from the Hudson River was visible only in tiny, frightening glimpses—until the epic conclusion.

Fringe (2008- )Secret ingredient: The ObserversWhat little we know: The original Observer appeared in Fringe's first season and drove viewers crazy trying to figure out who (and what) he was. Clues about the Observers have trickled out over subsequent seasons, but the game of Where's No-Eyebrows Guy? has made the show highly addictive.

Revolution (2012- )Secret ingredient: The USB driveWhat little we know: That thumbdrive is key to understanding the global blackout. Unless the last five minutes of the pilot were a red herring, it appears to power a computer that allows mysterious people to communicate with one another. Season pass: confirmed.